Polymerization of coordinated monomers. XXI. Ab initio molecular orbital study on the binary molecular complex composed of methyl methacrylate and boron trifluoride

The stereo- and electronic structures of the binary molecular complex composed of methyl methacrylate and boron trifluoride are obtained by using an ab initio molecular orbital method with an STO-3G basis set. The total energy change on the binary molecular complex formation is ?1.3 X 10^?2 Hartree (?8.2 kcal/mol). The electron transfer from methyl methacrylate to boron trifluoride and the change in the energy level of the lowest unoccupied molecular orbital of methyl methacrylate on the complex formation with boron trifluoride are much smaller than those on the complex formation with boron trichloride. A twisted form in which the dihedral angle between the vinyl plane and the ester plane is 16.9° is the most stable structure of the binary molecular complex composed of methyl methacrylate and boron trifluoride. A strong bonding overlap population between a β-hydrogen of methyl methacrylate and a fluorine of boron trifluoride is found in this conformation. © 1992 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.